


A Meeting For Tolled

by Zentillion



Series: Existence Annihilation Squad Shorts [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Could Be Canon, especially if it's their only meeting ever, little bit of fighting, spoilers all around
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-04-01 12:25:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4019656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zentillion/pseuds/Zentillion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two strangers in black coats have met in the world of darkness. One has things to say, but the other just wants this masked freak to go away, he's got other things to do. Both of them are going to get what they want. Well, after they beat each other up, anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Meeting For Tolled

The Realm of Darkness, where no light shines and the fell power gnaws on those who are not denizens of its power, black-booted feet step across the roads in the dark depths. The rest of that body lays hidden in a black, hooded coat over the rest of their outfit, the only think on its design that does not meet those bleak standards are the charms that adorn its strings.  
  
Elsewhere in this realm, another figure walks, their body of a different build, but their outfit is all the same, with the major exception of one last detail. Instead of darkness beneath that hood lies an enormous, sharp-toothed grin.  
  
Both of them are coming closer to a meeting point, neither one knowing of the other’s presence; one has things to do and accomplish, machinations to place and activate, the other has been wandering for several eons, lamenting over the mistakes of the past. They do, however, have something in common, other than their clothes...  
  
The two suddenly come to the same crossroads, stepping into each others’ view. They simply stand there for a moment before the grinning one raises their head. An unnatural grin, as it would look that way if it was actually on their face and the fact it’s painted onto a mask, seven rectangular holes in a hexagonal patten, seeming to represent eyes, though only two of them seem to cover actual ones.  
  
The other figure’s posture hardens, going from light to tightly-wound in a near instant, arms snapping back a little as a long, blue energy blade suddenly appears in each one, in a reverse-handed grip. Their masked reflection just stands there, pose staying casual, although their head does tilt to the side, and they finally speak, asking “Is that really necessary? I’m not here to cause you any problems, although there is... something... about you.”  
  
“Out of my way,” the unknown with the aggressive stance snarls, the voice of a young man coming from the black shadows of the hole in his hood. The masked unknown thinks about it for a moment, rubbing the lower portion of his facial covering. He hums, seeming to read the young man instead of getting out of the way as asked.  
  
He obviously needed motivation to shove off, so the boy with the swords decides to give it in a quick and brutal fashion, letting go of both blades and then bringing them back in his grasp forehanded and makes several rapid, precise swings, fully intent on cutting the masked man down to size.  
  
None of which make any impact as the masked stranger completely blocks every single swing of the boy’s without pulling out a weapon, the only show of power being the sudden glow along their arms. He goes back into his passive-aggressive posture, takes a deep breath, growls, and tries stabbing his blades into the masked man, first with a forehanded thrust towards the head, followed by slash from the other sword that swings it back into a backhanded grip and then a stab for the heart.  
  
The other figure’s head snaps aside to avoid the thrust. He takes the slash, though it doesn’t seem to do much, and as for the stab to his heart after that, he grabs the blade before it can reach that far, the energy output causing billowing smoke and a sizzling as it burns through the black glove on his opponent’s hand.  
  
That sizzling stops all of a sudden, as the masked figure’s hand glows bright. Vibrant orange eyes widen at what happens next, the figure yanking the boy forward with one hand while the other grabs his other blade to help gain some leverage and get him to send his knees into the sword user’s torso and slam him backwards, letting go at the same time. Stumbling back but not falling, the boy regains his balance, tightens his grip, and prepares to counter with another assault.  
  
He doesn’t get the chance, the masked man’s arms glowing, palms held outwards as his fingers splay, explosions of light mingled with darkness bursting from his hands and towards the unknown swordsman. He runs to the side, but the explosions suddenly fragment and turn in the boy’s direction and strike true, sending him reeling. That masked figure takes a few steps towards him, and then stops to “look” down on him.  
  
Yelling angrily, the boy jumps back up alongside his kiai, and charges the masked one, slashing rapidly. It’s guarded with a glowing arm, but it does push his opponent back and a little it down onto his knees as the boy keeps hammering his swords down. He then puts his blades back into backhanded positions and stabs both downwards, sinking them, one each, into the figure’s shoulders.  
  
“Beg for me you spare you and I will probably do just that... I just wanted you out of my way so I could continue minding my own business, and you yours, but you just had to be difficult,” the mysterious boy boasts. He doesn’t actually plan on killing the masked man unless he dies of blood loss or tries anything, but the threat and the intent are there. Such was giving in to one’s dark side.  
  
“Not bad young man,” the masked unknown says between pain-gritted teeth. Whether or not they look like they do on his mask is something only known to the man and those he deemed worthy to show his face to “But I can feel it within you, and myself, the way the bells ring that this will end with both of us still standing. You will show mercy on this day, boy.”  
  
Said boy growls, desummoning his blades and helping the masked man up. He then concentrates, the flow of time in their bodies bursting backwards and healing their wounds as if the fight had never happened. The masked man simply nods to the cloaked boy and takes a few steps back, holding his hand towards the way he’d been going “Go, if you wish. But if you want to stay here for a moment, please do. I have not had company in some time.”  
  
“Why should I stay and talk to you, we have no business! None!” is the response, the boy gesturing in the air for a moment as he speaks, seeming to reach out to grab at nothing. The other figure takes note of this, but doesn’t bring it up. The boy begins to leave, but is stopped by the masked man’s next words.  
  
“Because I have come to know what you seek and am curious just what methods you care to take to get what you want to cause another event like that.”  
  
“Meaning what?” the boy asks, turning on his heel to face the mysterious masked man again. He would just go, but now he’s curious. And curiosity could lead to learning, and thus, knowledge.  
  
“Perhaps I was wrong, perhaps you know nothing of which I speak yet. But your... unique abilities tell me you already know, but without explicitly saying it, I doubt you would understand it. You see, my boy... one who knows nothing--”  
  
“Can understand nothing,” the boy finishes, and then chuckles a little “That’s an interesting saying, isn’t it? Mm, I suppose I can give you a few minutes. So tell me, what do you know and how do you know it?”  
  
“Let me just say that I’m... aware of a certain conflict that happened long before your time. A conflict that you have pored over and will, as the bells of darkness continue to toll, become obsessed over. Heheh, as well as a certain artifact from back then.”  
  
“No idea what you are taking about, sorry.”  
  
The masked figure laughs, as if the other unknown person has told a very hilarious joke “I suppose it is none of my business, even if I know you are fully aware of what it is that I speak. Feign ignorance, but  as long as one knows, that’s all that matters. In fact, the bells are already tolling, child... I caught the most... interesting sight a little while ago of two more in outfits of our make - a young man, a little younger than you in fact, and a mouse.”  
  
“So that’s where I am about now, then,” the boy replies “The time is rapidly approaching, so stop wasting my time.”  
  
“With your powers, right now, you have all the time you’ll need, o Great One. And the bells toll for me as well. It is almost time for me to meet the one I will call my employer, for the very first time.”  
  
“‘O Great One’? ‘The bells toll’? You are a strange man. So, before I go and do what must be done for myself and you do the same for yourself. What is your name?”  
  
“The one who hears the bell toll for a world or a person’s descent into darkness and inklings of their path to that point, and I am someone long-forgotten” the masked man replies, vague but an answer nonetheless. Whatever his real name is, he’s either forgotten it or doesn’t feel that the mysterious boy needs to know.  
  
The boy gives a frustrated growl, thinks things over, for a moment, and then nods. There’s no more words from him as he begins to walk away. Well, at least until the bell-hearer says something “The Dark Knell is my short answer. So, what about you, boy?!”  
  
He gives his answer, muttered yet clear as he heads off into the dark, not to be seen in that form again by the man he had just met “Xehanort...”  
  
When he’s out of sight, before he continues walking, the Dark Knell says two words:  
  
“I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally a simple tie-in short for things going on in an RP, but I figure it's an alright little story on its own, so, why not.


End file.
